At UVM, Sulllivan Is Formally Installed As President

University of Vermont's Board of Trustees Robert Cioffi presents Thomas Sullivan with the insignia of the president's office.

Thomas
Sullivan has been formally installed as the 26th president of the University of Vermont. Sullivan presented his vision of the university's future Friday during
a ceremony at the Ira Allen Chapel on the Burlington campus.

"I
have learned how important it is to instill that spirit and that drive in the
hearts of students and faculty and staff," Sullivan said. "It's part of the
reason I'm honored and so grateful for this opportunity to serve this beloved
institution with all of you and to advance the quality and the excellence at
this critical juncture in this university's long 221 years."

And
it is a critical juncture. UVM is at a crossroads. Sullivan will face a number
of challenges, including a projected $120 million dollar shortfall. His
predecessor, Dan Fogel, raised tuition while increasing enrollment. The perception
has now grown that the cost of higher education has moved out of reach for many
Americans.

So,
Sullivan used his installation speech to pledge his commitment to making UVM
more affordable.

"We
will invest prudently in learning that shapes the future of this state and
higher education," Sullivan said. "We will provide access to success through strategic
investments that increase scholarships and financial aid."

Sullivan
outlined a plan that he says will ensure the right balance between student enrollment
and faculty size to achieve the highest levels of learning.

VPR/Kirk Carapezza

Former Vice President Walter Mondale issues the keynote address during Thomas Sullivan's installation ceremony at the University of Vermont Friday. Mondale met Sullivan at the University of Minnesota, where they taught law together.

Sullivan comes to Vermont from the University of Minnesota, where he was provost and law school dean. And among the speakers who
introduced him was Minnesota native and former Vice President Walter Mondale.

Mondale said when
Sullivan arrived at the University of Minnesota the law school was in rough shape.

"The building was
old. It was actually tacky; wholly inadequate," Mondale said. "The Legislature
actually turned its back on lawyers, if you can believe that."

Then one day,
Mondale says, Sullivan announced that he was going to raise $30 million in four
years to transform the school. "I thought he was out of his mind. He went to
work, pulled everybody together and he raised $52 million."

Sullivan's
supporters say such financial accomplishments have come as a result of his hard
work and his vision.

Sullivan
said such a move could effectively strip public institutions like UVM of their right
to take race into account when trying to boost their minority enrollment. UVM's
rate of entering undergraduate students of color is 10 percent.